No Roses On Greenland's Ice
by HaleyDub
Summary: Hannah Setton is immigrating from England to America, looking toward a bright future in a land of plenty. Little does she know how hard life in a new country can be...
1. On A Ship To America

***AUTHOR'S NOTE AND SO ON AND ET CETERA***  
You all know the routine: most of these characters are not mine. However, you people know which characters belong to Disney and which do not, so I feel it unnecessary to go through all he names of my own characters. Yada yada yada, Disney please don't sue me, yada yada. There ya go. *grins*

CHAPTER ONE: ON A SHIP TO AMERICA

*******

"Anchors aweigh!" the first mate of the _Henry VIII_ called as the small ship made ready to leave port from Liverpool.

I stood with both my hands on the railing, looking back at my home as we slowly drew farther away. Once the port was out of sight, I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

Turning around, I met the soft brown eyes of a young sailor. He was tall, with wavy brown hair, and he looked around my age, sixteen.

"'Scuse me, miss, but you'd best get ta your cabin," he said in a thick Irish accent.

"I suppose..." I replied distantly.

"Are ye a steerage passenger, miss? Or do ya have a cabin?"

"I...I have a cabin," I answered.

Nodding, he said, "You look ill, miss. Care me to walk ya to your cabin?"

"Oh, uh, please," I accepetd, a bit surprised. Taking his outstretched arm, I said, "Thank you. I'm afraid that I am unwell."

"Seasick, miss?"

"No, but I fear that I may be shortly," I answered.

"Ah," he nodded as we reached my cabin door. "My name's Skittery."

"Hanna Setton. It's a pleasure, Skittery," I greeted him with as much of a smile as I could muster.

He took my hand and kissed it. "'Twas grand, Hannah. Might we speak again?"

Blushing, I nodded. He grinned and kissed my hand again. "Have a lovely evenin'."

"You also," I replied, stepping into my small cabin and shutting the door behind me.

I sat down on the small bunk in my cramped cabin and thought over the events that had brought me here. I was happy to be going to America. After all, I could find my brothers, David and Aaron, whom I hadn't seen in years.

My father had been drinking away my family's money for as long as I could remember. I had been saving my own money to go to America for seven years, and now I was finally going to make a new life for myself. When David and Aaron had immigrated, they hadn't enough money to take me along. Now, I was finally living out my biggest dream, travelling to America on the immigrant ship _Henry VIII_.

Still thinking on these things, I lay down on the hard bunk and soon fell into a light and fitful sleep.

*******

I awoke the next morning to nausea and the gentle rocking of the ship. Covering my mouth with my hand, I ran out of my cabin and down the steps to the main deck, where I leaned over the railing to be sick. Coughing hard, I hung over the rail for several minutes.

"Are you all right?"

I stood slowly to face Skittery. "Far from it, but thank you for asking," I groaned.

"Here, you need to sit down," he said, taking me arm and leading me toward a bench. I sat down slowly.

"I'll go get you a drink," Skittery said, walking off. He returned shortly with a cup of water.

"Thank you," I said, taking several sips as Skittery sat down beside me.

"Why are you called 'Skittery'?" I asked him.

"Me dad was a sailor hisself, so when I was old enough he brought me ta this very ship ta meet th' sailors. I was real shy an' skittish-like, an' th' sailors jus' started callin' me 'Skittery'. When we went ta New York an' I became a newsy, I told 'em ta call me Skittery, an' that's what everyone calls me. 'Course, after a while I got ta where I talked with their accent, so most of 'em don't know I'm Irish. It's better that way."

"Why?" I asked.

"New York accents sell more papes. The city folk don' like immigrants. They're all into that...nativism an' such like."

"That's not fair," I frowned. "When did you start sailing?"

"Only last year," Skittery said. "This'll be my third voyage, and maybe my last. Y'see, my dad had the consumption, an' they don' think he'll be with us much longer. When I get home, I'll be goin' to th' sanitoruim to visit 'im every day."

"That's awful, Skittery! I'm terribly sorry."

He forced a smile. "Och, lassie, I'll be fine. 'Tis you I'm worryin' about, travellin' to America all alone."

"Well...I have two older brothers somewhere in New York. I can find them," I said confidently.

"Och, you don' know how huge New York is! It might take ya years to find 'em in the city, and even longer than that to find 'em in the state," Skittery said.

"Oh...that does put me in a bind," I sighed.

"If ya don' mind me askin', Hannah...what happened ta your parents?"

"Oh, they're alive, but I just couldn't take any more of Father drinking away our money and Mother just sitting by and letting it happen," I answered. "I've been saving money for seven years to get this far."

Just then, a loud bell rang. Skittery jumped up. "It's my watch. I must be going. I'll talk with ya later, Hannah."

"Goodbye, Skittery," I called after him, easing myself up off the bench and climbing the stairs to my cabin. I was still nauseous, so I lay down on my bunk and fell asleep again.


	2. Arrival

CHAPTER TWO: ARRIVAL

*******

Over the two-week voyage, Skittery and I became good friends. We often talked together when he was off his watch, and even sometimes when he was on. It didn't matter unless the first mate caught us laughing and took away Skittery's dinner that night. He didn't care, though. "There are some days in New York when I'll go without a meal all day. 'Tis no problem ta pass up hardtack an' old water once or twice," he told me once.

Finally, the day of our arrival at the New York harbor came.

"You're going ta need a job," Skittery told me. "The best for you may be selling papes, just in case ya run into your brothers on th' street. When ya arrive in Manhattan, find the Duane Street Newsboys' Lodging House an' stay there. There's a girls' room that you can board in."

"When will you be along?" I asked.

"Ah, in th' next few days," he answered. "I have ta finish my duties on this ship. Look! There's the Statue."

Looking up ahead, I spotted the Statue of Liberty, holding her torch high and proud. A chill ran down my spine as I realized that I was finally in America. It was only a matter of time until we reached the mainland.

"Well," Skittery began, "I must go. I have ta help get th' ship docked." He kissed my hand.

"See you soon, Skittery," I said.

He smiled and was on his way. I turned back toward the Statue and watched as the mainland got closer. Finally, we docked at the New York harbor.

I ran to my cabin to gather my things. One by one, the other passengers stepped down the gangplank and onto American ground. We were thrilled. Putting our baggage onto a cart to be checked, we got into a line for our examinations.

A crying woman and her child came back from the front of the line. When several other passengers asked her what was wrong, all she could reply was, "Trachoma."

"They're deporting already?" I asked the man in front of me.

He turned to look at me and started babbling on in a foreign language. Then, he turned back around. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned to the woman behind me.

"Trachoma, the eye disease," she said.

"Yes, I know. But why -"

"They deport anyone who has it," she cut in.

"But...what if I have it?" I asked her.

She took a long look at me. "You don't," she said, finally.

I turned back around, stunned at the cruelty this country was already displaying. Those people had no homes to return to! What were they supposed to do? I stood there, silent, until it came my turn to have an examination.

"Name?" the doctor asked.

"Hannah Setton. H-a-n-n-a-h S-e-t-t-o-n."

"Age?"

"Sixteen."

"Country of origin?"

"England."

"Thank you. I was making sure the information on your papers was correct. I'm Doctor Smith."

Dr. Smith did an examination on me, to make sure my health was good enough so that I could go on. After a long and nervous wait, he finally told me, "Healthy. Go pick up your baggage."

With a smile, I ran past him and found where they had put my things. Picking up the burlap bag and slinging it over my shoulder, I wandered toward the door that lead outside the immigration building.

"Miss! Miss!"

A young man stopped me. "I know where you can get a decent job and boarding."

"I don't need that. I already know where I'm going to work and live," I told him.

"Where?" he persisted.

"The lodging house on Duane Street. Would you be so kind as to show me the way?"

"Certainly, miss. Let me take your bag," he offered.

Flattered, I said, "That's kind of you." I handed him the bag.

"T'anks a bunch, dollface!" he yelled, running away with my bag.

"Hey!" I yelled. "Theif!"

I started running after him, but he was too fast for me. Finally, I collapsed onto a bench, exhausted and frustrated. My only posessions had been in that bag, though it wasn't much more than a few shillings and a photograph.

"Well, this is shaping up to be a fine day indeed!" I said sarcastically to myself.

"What'sa matta, miss?"

_Oh, no,_ I thought, turning to meet the friendly eyes of a teenage boy.

"Well, for one thing, I'm lost, and for another, I just had my only posessions stolen from me by a no-account ruffian."

"I's sorry...My name's Snitch. What's yours?"

"Hannah," I answered. "Pleased to meet you...I think."

He kissed my hand. "Don't be scared a' me. I won't hurt ya."

I noticed the stack of newspapers he held.

"Are you a newsy?" I asked.

"Yup."

"Do you know Skittery?"

"Hey! How d'you know Skit?" he asked, surprised.

"I made friends with him on the voyage over from England. He told me to find the Duane Street lodging house."

"Ya don' say! Dat's where I live," Snitch said.

"Really? Could you take me there?" I asked hopefully.

"Shoa. You can stay wit' me while I finish sellin' dese papes."

I stayed with Snitch as he finished selling his newspapers, and I even sold a few myself. Finally, it was time for dinner.

"We's goin' ta Tibby's. You wanna eat dere?" he asked.

"Yes, I suppose," I answered.

"Da food's not too great, but it's edible, at least," he said.

"That's fine with me," I replied, following him to the small restaurant.

We entered the building. It was very dimly-lit, and there were several other teenage boys and girls there, most of which I guessed were newsies.

Snitch and I sat down at a long table that was crowded with seven boys and three girls, not counting Snitch and I. He went around the table, introducing everyone.

"Dat's Mush Meyers, Racetrack Higgins, Kid Blink, Coaldust McGinty, Cheater Molloy, Ghost Willis, Beggar Johnson, Ribbons McFarland, Twiggy Townsend, and Monkey McCartney."

All of them waved hello, as did I, although other than that, only Snitch and the three girls, Twiggy, Monkey, and Ribbons, paid any attention to me until Snitch announced, "Hannah knows Skittery!"

I was suddenly showered with questions left and right. Happily, I answered them as we continued eating our supper.

After we finished eating, every one of us left the restaurant at the same time and headed toward the lodging house. When we got inside, an old man approached me.

"You da new goil, eh? Well, heah's da rules: no drinkin', no smokin', no cursin', no spittin', no fightin'. Dat's 'bout it. Five cents a night, an' sign da book."

"I'm payin' 'er foist night, Kloppman," Snitch told him as I signed my name in the log.

As the group of us walked up the stairs, Snitch told me, "Da goils' room is to da right, an' da boys' is to da left. G'night."

"'Night!" everyone called to each other. I followed the other girls into our bunkroom, and Monkey told me, "You can take any bunk dat doesn't have anybody's stuff on it. Sweet dreams."

I found a bunk and lay down. _How do they live like this every day?_ I wondered. _Well, no matter. I have to get used to it, I suppose._


	3. Dinner on the Roof

"Get up, will ya, ya hafta get up! Time for work! Time for work! Get up!"

I felt someone roughly shaking me. Barely opening my eyes, I looked up into the withered face of Kloppman. Then I remembered where I was.

"Get up," he said.

Sitting up slowly, I swung my legs over the bunk and gingerly placed my feet onto the cold wooden floor. Looking around, I noticed that there were seven girls counting myself: Twiggy, Monkey, Ribbons, and three others whom I didn't know.

Groggily, I followed them out of the room and down the hall to the washroom. I washed my hair, scrubbed my face with a wet rag, braided my wet hair, and tried to smooth the wrinkles from my work dress.

When I was through, I realized that I was the only one left in the washroom. Upon exiting, a flood of teenage boys ran into the washroom hurriedly. I descended the stairs to stand with the other girls. None of them spoke to me, so I stood alone with my back against the wall.

"Mornin', Hannah."

I looked up to see Snitch standing beside me. "Good morning," I mumbled.

"Hey, whatsa matta?"

"Well, no one will speak to me but you," I said.

"Oh...I's sorry. It's jus' dem, ya know? Fer some reason, it takes 'em a while ta get used ta da new kid. Soon you'll be like fam'ly."

I frowned and shifted my gaze toward the floorboards. "Not at this rate."

The group of us left the lodging house and walked a few blocks away to what I later learned was the distribution center, where we bought our newspapers to sell.

"Seventy papes fer me, and fifty fer my friend, heah," Snitch ordered, casting his coins onto the counter.

An overweight, whiskered, greasy man scooped the coins up. "Seventy, fifty!" he hollered at the two young men working behind him. They shoved two stacks of papers underneath the bar and we picked them up.

"Thank you, Snitch," I told him.

He smiled. "Good luck sellin'."

With that, we went our separate ways. I wandered seven blocks down the street from the distribution center, calling out the headlines.

"Extra, extra! Mayor's Neice Comes For Visit! Read all about it!"

A young boy dressed in a fancy school uniform came up to me, holding a shiny penny.

"Would you like a newspaper?" I asked him.

He nodded happily, his blue eyes shining, and extended his hand with the penny in it. Suddenly, a hand grabbed the boy's arm.

"No, Jim. You're not to be buying papers from the immigrants," a stern man told him.

The boy glanced at me, and then followed his father away. I sat down, discouraged. It had been two hours since I bought my papers, and I had only sold fifteen. How was I ever going to get fifty sold before lunch?

I sighed heavily and closed my eyes. _I didn't know that America was like this. I always thought that it was a land of freedom and equality._

"Hey, sorry I didn't talk to ya this mornin'."

I looked up to see Monkey sitting beside me.

"That's all right," I sighed.

"You're not having good luck," she told me.

It was then that I realized she was Irish. "No, I'm not, am I?"

She smiled. I asked her, "Are you an immigrant?"

"Aye," she answered. "From Ireland, when I was young."

"Well, how do you sell so many papers? No one will buy from me."

"Ya have ta be charmin', an' ya have ta know how ta work it just right so that every headline you yell is a seller. Here, watch." She stood up with one of my papers held high.

"Extra, extra! Mayor's neice visits McGann's pub, scandalous details! Read all about it!"

A man immediately bought the paper from Monkey. She handed the penny to me.

"See, the _World_ tries ta have tha most sensational headlines in New York. As ya can tell, they're not doing too well. So, us newsies have ta help 'em along a little. Besides, we pay them so we can sell their papes. There's no use in spending your money on nothing! Ya have ta profit somehow," she explained.

"I see...can I try it your way?"

"Go fer it," she grinned.

I stood, holding a paper in my hand. More confident than I had been before, I yelled, "Extra, extra! President's leg broken in nine places!"

Several people hurriedly bought papers. The actual headline had read, "Leg Of President's Chair Breaks, He Falls". It was a stupid headline in the first place.

"Ah, there ya go. Ya got it, now," Monkey said, smiling. "See, one reason people around here don't take well to immigrants is that too many of us act like scared kittens. We have ta let these people know that we're not helpless, that we can live for ourselves and get an honest job. Lots of us Irish were hired as scabbers in factories where th' workers were striking, but for lower pay. Th' English, too. Now ya see signs all over businesses, 'No Immigrants Need Apply' and such like. No one wants us, but we'll show 'em that we don't need 'em. We can make it fine."

"Well said, Monkey," I grinned.

Within the next hour, I had sold every last pape. Monkey and I met up with Twiggy Townsend and headed to a hot dog stand for lunch. After that, we went back to the distribution center to buy the evening edition to sell.

Later that night, we bought dinner from the same hot dog vendor and headed back to the lodging house.

"Would ya like ta come eat wid me an' Monkey?" Twiggy asked. "Up on the roof."

I nodded. "I'd like to."

The three of us climbed up the fire escape and sat on the roof with our hot dogs.

"This is sort of tradition for me an' Twiggy," Monkey said.

"Oh, that's interesting. I've never eaten my dinner on a roof before," I said, grinning.

"Well, there's a foist time fer everyt'ing," a voice behind me said.

Cheater Molloy, Coaldust McGinty, Ghost Willis, and a boy I didn't recognize stood behind us.

"Hannah, you remember Cheater, Coal, and Ghost, right?" Monkey asked.

I nodded as she pointed out the fourth boy.

"That's Crazy Rogers."

"Heya," he greeted when I said hello. The four boys sat down with us. I noticed that they also had bought dinner from the street vendor.

As Cheater, Ghost, and Crazy talked with Monkey and Twiggy, Coaldust moved over beside me. He had black, wavy hair and peircing, gray eyes with flecks of blue in them; all in all, he was very good looking.

"Hey, Hannah," he said. "I'm Coaldust McGinty. I know Snitch told ya my name but I wanted to say hi meself."

"Hello," I said, not sure what to say next.

He kept the conversation moving right along. "How old are ya?"

"Sixteen. You?"

"Seventeen last week," he grinned. "Ya came from England, den?"

"Yes," I answered. "Horrid place, that."

"Really? I always t'ought England might be nice."

"Maybe to visit, but not for a home. It's too wet and dull."

"I t'ink New Yawk's wet an' dull! Well, maybe I's wrong," he laughed.

We talked together until it was time to go inside. "Kloppman'll lock us out," Twiggy warned.

The seven of us entered the lodging house and separated to go to our bunkrooms. We bid each other good night.

Once back in the girls' room, Twiggy, Monkey, and I talked for a long while. "I think Coal likes ya, Hannah," Monkey grinned.

I laughed, but Twiggy agreed with Monkey. Shrugging it off, I said good night and climbed into my bunk, falling asleep rather quickly. 


	4. Nothing But A Dreamer

CHAPTER FOUR: Nothing But A Dreamer

*******

*_Two days later..._*

"Extra, extra! Loch Ness monster seen in East River! Read all the exciting details!"

I took several pennies at once from the crowd around me and in turn handed out several papers. "Thank you kindly."

When the people walked away, I grinned to myself. Monkey's advice was priceless; I had been selling well all morning thanks to her. Now, I had ten papes left from my fifty, so I scanned through the headlines to make sure I didn't miss any good ones that could possibly sell a few papes.

"Ah!" I exclaimed to myself, finding a new headline. "This could work."

Raising the paper high, I yelled, "Bodies found in old tenement building! Landlord to blame!"

"Dat's really good. Is it a real headline?"

I turned to see Coaldust standing behind me. "Yes, it is," I answered as I sold several papers at once. "What do you mean, 'Is it real,' anyway? You _know_ they're all _real_," I said jokingly.

"Oh, yeah. Every woid," he laughed. "Lissen, when you's done sellin'... wouldja like ta get lunch wid' me? I mean, not at Tibby's. Dere's dis otha place down the road called Eddie's. T'ought ya might like ta eat dere. Da food's betta dan Tibby's, too." All the while, he had been watching his shoes scuff back and forth, back and forth across the sidewalk.

"Yes, I'd like to," I accepted. He looked up and grinned. "I have to finish selling now, though," I told him.

"'Kay," he said. "I'll sit ovah heah an' wait on ya, if dat's okay."

I nodded. "All right."

Quickly, I finished selling my papers and accompanied Coaldust to Eddie's. Upon entering, a delicious smell hit me. "What's that?" I asked Coal.

"Pasta. Spaghetti, lasagna, you name it."

"What kind of a food is that?" I asked him.

His eyes widened. "You ain't neva had pasta?"

"No."

"Okay, dat settles it, den. Waiter!"

A plump, dark-skinned man came over to our table. "Yep."

"Two plates of spaghetti and two waters," Coal ordered.

The man wrote it down on a piece of paper and left our table. "Ya gonna taste real food today, Hannah!" Coal exclaimed.

I smiled, unsure of this..._spaghetti_. "What's in it?"

"Long noodles, meatballs, and dis red sauce dat tastes real good. Don't know what dey call it," he muttered to himself.

"Ah. What country does it come from?"

"Mexico or Italy or somet'in', I t'ink..." he trailed off as the waiter returned and set our plates down in front of us. Coal paid him and he left. 

We ate our lunch in silence. The spaghetti was surprisingly good. I knew I just had to take Skittery there when he got home. _Skittery_. My face flushed when I thought of him.

"What's wrong?" Coal asked, noticing this.

"N-nothing. I'm fine," I answered, still puzzled as to why that had happened . _I just thought about him for a second._ Shrugging it off, I finished my dinner and stood to leave. "Thank you, Coal. The food was delicious."

"Ya leavin'?" he asked, a bit surprised.

"I suppose..." I trailed off. "I'm sorry I seem rude, Coal. Do you want me to stay?"

He nodded. "I wish ya would, Hannah, but you can leave if ya want to."

Feeling bad, I sat back down. "I'll stay."

Looking up at me, Coaldust smiled a stunning smile. "T'anks."

He finished his lunch quickly and the two of us got up to leave. Coaldust offered me his arm, and I linked my arm with his as we headed down the sidewalk toward the distribution center to get our afternoon editions.

"T'anks fer comin' ta lunch wid' me," Coal said, blushing a bit.

"We should do it again one day," I smiled.

"Yeah. Well, see ya," he said, walking away with his stack of papers.

Monkey approached me. "I saw that, Hannah! Ya sweet on Coaldust, eh?"

I shook my head. "He's very nice, Monkey, but no."

"Ah, I think ya are," she teased.

I shook my head again. "No. I just went to lunch with him, that's all."

"Uh-huh, an' next it'll be dinner, an' after that, long walks in Central Park. I know tha routine," she grinned.

"Well..." I trailed off, having nothing else to say.

Laughing, Monkey said, "Yeah, I thought so. Want me ta go tell 'im?"

"Come here, Monkey," I said through gritted teeth, dragging her by the sleeve as far away from the other newsies as possible. There was no telling what they had already heard and were assuming now.

"Listen, I don't like him like that. Please don't grin on me like that because I don't fell like it's a joking matter," I told her.

"Ah, I'm sorry. 'Twas only a bit o' fun. I thought ya liked 'im."

"No, I don't like him like that, but I fear he likes me. What should I do?" 

"Give 'im a chance, Hannah. Ya may grow ta like 'im like that, who knows?" 

"I'll give him a chance. I just don't think I'll ever feel that way about him," I sighed. _Someone else is in my heart,_ I thought to myself. _Wait, what am I thinking? I don't like him, either! Why did I think that? Stop it, Hannah, stop. You're nothing but a dreamer._


	5. Freezing Rain and Burning Tears

The next day was a slow selling day. Rain poured down in torrents, and I gave up selling the morning edition by ten. Sitting down on a bench by the road, I tried to figure out what I was going to do for a meal. None of my papers had sold, so I only had a nickel. _Not much I can get with this_, I thought, _except give it to Kloppman for my bunk_.

Leaning back, my stomach growling, I turned my face upward toward the cloudy sky. The freezing rain splashed on my face and I closed my eyes before shivering. Winter was almost here, and I had no earthly idea what the newsies did then.

"You'll catch yer death out 'ere, Hannah."

I opened my eyes and spun around at the familiar voice. There was Skittery, soaking wet, grinning at me. I jumped up and gave him a fierce hug before he knew what had hit him.

"'Ey, lassie! I din't know ya missed me that much!" he laughed.

"Trust me, I did," I grinned. I proceeded to tell him of my fortune and misfortune upon my arrival in New York.

"If I ever see the likes o' that dirty bum who robbed ya, I'll soak 'im, that I will," he said angrily.

"Ah, he's probably out west by now, and hardly worth your trouble," I replied.

Nodding, Skittery said, "Yes, I s'pose you're right. We should be goin' inside, though. We'll both be sick as dogs out in this weather!"

In agreement, I grabbed his arm as we ran through the puddles on the sidewalk in the direction of the lodging house. We burst through the door and raced to the fire to warm up. Kloppman came running over with dry towels and wrapped them around our shoulders.

"I really can't afford ta share these towels wid tha likes o' ya, but more 'n dat I can't afford two sick kids!" he grumbled, putting more kindling on the fire. 

"Thanks, Klop," Skittery said, slipping out of his Irish accent and into a New York one, though a more proper dialect than that used by most of the other newsies. "We'll pay you back somehow."

"Have you seen your father yet?" I asked Skittery once Kloppman had sauntered off to his desk.

He nodded. "I've just come from the sanitorium. I went there straight from th' ship. He's in high spirits, but we both know..." he trailed off, getting a distant look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Skit," I whispered.

Trying to shake it off, he looked at me. "Do ya want ta meet 'im? We can go when it stops rainin'...if you want. The only problem would be that it'd put ya in danger of gettin' th' consumption, or some bloody awful sickness like it. Maybe you should forget I ever asked-"

"No, Skittery...I'd love to meet your father. Goodness knows I've probably been exposed to everything already," I answered.

Suddenly, our conversation was interrupted. "Hey, Skittery!" several of the guys yelled, spotting him as they came down the stairs.

"Hey, fellas!" he greeted, back into his New York accent. They had a long conversation while I sat by the fire, my clothes slowly drying in the heat. Finally, Skittery came over to me. "The guys want me to play a game of poker with them, so I'm gonna go. We'll talk later, though. I promise."

"Bye," I said.

He winked at me. "See ya."

A long time after he had left, Coaldust joined me at the fire.

"Ah, dis is nice an' warm," he said, sitting beside me. "So ya talked ta Skit?"

I nodded. Coal said, "I rememba when 'e left on dat ship da foist time."

"Why did he leave?" I asked curiously.

"When his pop got da consumption, Skit couldn't pay fer da treatment wid jus' da money he made off sellin' papes. So, 'e got a job as a sailor on immigrant ships ta pay fer 'is pop ta go to da sanitorium, hopin' dat 'e would get betta," Coaldust answered.

_That was very sweet of him, leaving all his friends and even his life behind to help his father_, I thought. "Wow," was all I could say.

"So..." Coal began, "wouldja like ta go ta dinner wid' me again tanight?"

I was very flattered that he had asked me, but I was also feeling a bit uncomfortable that he was showing this much interest in me.

_Oh, Hannah, what's your problem? Coaldust is nice, he's handsome, he's...I wish Sk- no, no, no, stop thinking that, Hannah! You shouldn't waste your time dreaming, you may miss your chance with the right person! What if Coal is the right one for you? You can't miss out on it, dreaming about boys that you don't even like! But I don't like Coal... he's nothing more than a friend. Oh, just say yes already, Hannah! It might be fun._

"S-sure, Coal. That sounds nice," I answered. I felt horrible, like I was betraying someone. Nevertheless, I went upstairs to brush my hair so I could look as nice as possible.

When I came back downstairs again, Coal had changed into a fresh pair of clothes and had combed his wavy black hair, though it wasn't near tame. We left the lodging house, staying as close to the buildings as possible, trying to keep dry. Finally, we reached Eddie's. Upon entry, the same delicious smell hit me. I took a deep breath as we sat down. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all_, I thought.

Coal ordered a plate of spaghetti for me, and when the waiter brought dinner we ate once again in silence, making small talk once in a while. I grew increasingly uncomfortable, and it didn't help that I was feeling feverish. I sneezed several times.

"Whoa, dere," Coaldust said, handing me a napkin. I wiped my watered eyes and sniffled several times. "Thank you," I mumbled, this time coughing. "I think I need to head back, Coal. Thank you for dinner."

I stood up, but he stopped me. "I'll come witcha."

Nodding, I waited as he paid the bill. He came toward me and we left the small restaurant, once again trying desperately to keep as dry as possible.

Upon our entry into the lodging house, I ran straight for the fire, shivering. Skittery was already sitting there with several of the other boys, telling funny stories and having a good time. I sniffed and wrapped my arms around myself, getting as close to the fire as I possibly could.

"Hey, Hannah, are you catching something?" Skittery asked me.

"I don't know, Skit," I answered, shivering.

"Did you...did you have a good time with Coaldust?" he asked hesitantly.

Looking up at him, I whispered, "Not really, but don't tell him that. I'll talk to you about it more later."

He nodded, winking. "Don't worry, I won't say anything. C'mon, let's get you upstairs."

Skittery walked up the stairs with me to the girls' bunkroom and stopped at the door. "You keep warm, Hannah. I don't want ya gettin' sick, hear?" He grinned and tweaked my nose. "G'night. Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Skittery," I whispered, turning around and entering the bunkroom, shutting the door behind me.

"Whoa, Han, ya look sick or somet'in'," Twiggy told me when I sat down on my bunk.

"I feel awful," I muttered.

Monkey came over to me. "Ya need any blankets or anything? We can get hot water for ya ta warm yer feet."

"Thank you," I said, shivering as she and Ribbons left the bunkroom and went downstairs.

Twiggy sat down beside me. "Didja see dat Skittery's back?"

I nodded. Just then, someone from across the room said, "'Course she knows Skit's back. Dey was holdin' onto each udda earlier taday like da woild was gonna end or somethin'."

Several giggles arose from this. I felt the blood creeping to my face. "It was only a hug," I tried to tell them.

"Oh, sure, a _hug_," one girl named Gem Rogers mocked. "Da immigrant goil's already plastered ta one o' da newsies, an' she ain't even been heah a whole week!" All the other girls but Twiggy laughed.

"My name is Ha-"

"I know yer name, British goil! I ain't stupid," she snapped.

"Well, if you know my name you could at least show common courtesy and call me by it," I said angrily.

"Oooohh, 'common courtesy'!" Gem imitated my accent.

"Knock it off, Gem!" Twiggy finally cut in.

"Oh, Twiggy Townsend's taking up fer da trash, is she? A born and bred New Yawker, an' she's _still_ helpin' a foreigner!" Gem mocked.

"Gem, I sweah, if we weren't heah in dis lodgin' house I'd soak ya," she said through gritted teeth as the other girls laughed cruelly.

Hot tears crept into my eyes, but I blinked them back forcefully. I wasn't going to cry for this girl.

The taunting didn't stop until Ribbons and Monkey came back into the room with the water, well over fifteen minutes later. Twiggy had been targeted, also, but she had still tried to get them to stop.

"Here. We've got some hot water for your feet," Ribbons told me as she and Monkey set it down on the floor.

I put my feet in and the water felt wonderful. I'd never soaked my feet in hot water before.

"Oh, special treatment. I see," Gem commented loudly.

"You'd best shut yer hole, Gem Rogers, or you'll have at least three o' us after ya!" Monkey threatened angrily.

"Ah! One immigrant standing up for another. It's...touching."

Monkey ran at her angrily, but Gem retreated before Monkey could throw the first punch. "Tha's what I thought," Monkey said. Turning to me, she winked and whispered, "It's th' Irish temper. Gets 'er ev'ry time."

"Yeah," Twiggy added. "Dis ain't nothin' new."

"She's always after Monkey and the other girls who immigrated," Ribbons said. "Her whole family was a nativist family. There are a lot of people like that here in the city. You just have to learn to cope with them."

"On top o' that, she's gone on Skittery," Monkey told me.

"I see," I said. _Gem obviously doens't know that Skittery's Irish_, I thought with amusement.

"Whatcha smilin' about?" Twiggy asked.

"Nothing. I'm tired," I said, pulling my feet out of the water and drying them on a towel. "Good night."

"'Night."

I lay down and closed my eyes, wondering why some people were so cruel, and eventually fell asleep. 


	6. I Don't Cry

The next morning, I was awakened before daylight by a tapping on my shoulder. Opening my eyes, I was startled to see Skittery standing by my bunk. I pulled my blanket up to my neck, for it wasn't ladylike to let your nightclothes show in the presence of a boy.

"Skit? What are you doing here?" I whispered, knowing full well that boys were stricktly forbidden to set even a foot inside the girls' bunkroom.

"I'm going ta visit Dad. Do ya want ta come with me?" he asked softly.

I nodded, sitting up, with my blanket still wrapped tightly around me. "I'll go get dressed. Get out of here before you're caught!"

His bare feet made no sound as he tiptoed out of the bunkroom and back into the boys' room. I shivered, sniffling, and picked up my folded dress, changing out of my nightclothes and into it. I brushed and braided my hair, and made my way out of the room and down the hall to the washroom to wash my face and brush my teeth.

When I was through, I snuck back out and met Skittery at the top of the stairs. "Ya ready?" he asked. I nodded. "Then we're off."

The two of us silently descended the stairs and went outside. It was freezing, thanks to the rain that had fallen the day before. I coughed and linked arms with Skittery in an attempt to keep warm.

"Ya think you'll be all right? Or should I take ya back?" he asked with concern.

Shaking my head, I answered, "No, I'm fine."

"Sure?"

I nodded, walking as near to him as was proper without drawing questioning stares from passersby. "How long does it take to get to the sanitorium?"

"Three hours walkin'," Skittery answered. "Tha's why I got ya up so early."

I groaned. It was so cold. Nevertheless, I continued walking with Skittery; I cared more about being with him than about whether or not I would come down with a cold or a chill because of it.

"Ya said ya'd tell me about dinner with Coaldust," Skittery hinted.

"Oh, that," I sighed.

"Ya said ya din't have a good time."

"No. See...he's nice and he's good-looking, but...I don't know, I just don't feel right, like I'm leading him on. And when I accepted the dinner invitation last night...it felt like I was betraying someone. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, maybe..." I shook my head. "I shouldn't be discussing this with you! I've not even known you for a month!"

"You're right. It was daft of me ta ask," Skittery said, embarassed.

"No, it's just that...I don't know. _Should_ we speak of such things? I always feel as though I'm losing someone's respect no matter what I do."

"You're not losin' mine," Skittery said. "Anyway, it ain't like anyone else is listenin'. It's jus' me. An' ya know I won't do ya any harm. But if ya don' feel like talkin' about it any more, don't. I won't make ya."

I smiled up at him. "Well...what do you think of what I told you so far? Since I said it already, I might as well hear what you've got to say about it."

"Well...it sounds ta me like ya know what ya want, an' ya don' want ta be with Coaldust. You're a very kind- hearted lass, though, ta be concerned fer his feelin's. You're right, though, don' lead him on. Th' next time he asks ya to dinner or such like, be honest and turn down the invitation. Do ya see what I'm sayin'?"

I nodded. "Thank you for not thinking me a fool."

He laughed. I finally gave way and laughed with him. This led to a short coughing fit.

Skittery placed a hand on my back. "Hannah, we should go back."

"No, no, I'm all right," I answered, brushing my hair out of my face. "I'll be fine, I promise."

He stared into my eyes for a moment. "All right. Come on, we're almost there."

After several more minutes, we reached a large, secluded building. Everything was white. The window frames, the doors, the shutters - everything. There was a feeling of sadness that came with just a simple glance at the place; most people who went in weren't destined to come back out again. I took a deep breath as Skittery took my hand, leading me inside. The smell of sickness and death pervaded, and I shivered; not from being chilled, but from the feeling the whole building gave me.

A nun dressed in complete white met us just inside the doorway. "Good morning, Séamas."

"Good mornin', Sister Margaret. This is my good friend, Hannah Setton."

Sister Margaret smiled warmly at me. I returned the smile. The nun seemed a warm presence in the gloom of this atmosphere.

"How's Dad?" Skittery asked.

The Sister's face grew cloudy, her expression becoming difficult to read. "Worse," she replied. "He can barely get a breath, what with all that coughing."

"Not long, then?" he asked distantly. She shook her head sadly.

"Have ya begun arranging..." Skittery began to ask. He didn't finish the question, but Sister Margaret knew how to answer.

"Yes. Everything is in order."

Skittery nodded. Trying to put on a pleasant expression, he turned to me. "Are ya sure ya want ta meet 'im? It may be too hard on ya."

I nodded, squeezing his hand. "We're ready ta see 'im, then, Sister," Skittery said.

Nodding, she led us down the hall and into a very small room. A man lay in the single bed, coughing hard, pale and sickly. "Sis-" he tried to call through coughs.

"Oh, my gracious, Mr. O'Reilly, let me-" Sister Margaret started to say as she hurried to the bedside, picking up a bucket and held it under his chin. He coughed out a large amount of fleghm. My stomach churned, and I turned my head. I felt Skittery's hand on my shoulder.

Looking up at him, I saw that his expression was grave as he looked down at me. He forced a smile and led me closer to his father's bedside when Sister Margaret put the bucket down and left the room.

"Top o' th' mornin', Dad," Skittery said, as cheerfully as possible.

His father looked up at him, his eyes bloodshot and his face red from coughing. There were beads of sweat all over his forehead. "Séamas," he choked out, trying to smile, but heading back into a coughing fit.

Skittery closed his eyes tightly until his father's cough subsided. I finally got a good look at his father. He was deathly pale; every bone in his body showed through his sweat-soaked hospital gown. I noticed that Skittery had his father's eyes, hair, and many of the same facial features.

"This is my friend Hannah Setton, Dad," Skittery said, wrapping his arm around me.

His father forced a painful smile. "She's a right bonny lass, that she is," he whispered. Skittery grinned, looking down at me and whispering, "He got out a whole sentence just fer you, Hannah."

My eyes filled with tears. _If only I had known this man before he was taken with sickness! He seems like a wonderful person._

"How've they been treatin' ya, Dad?" Skittery asked, trying to keep a saddening silence from falling over the small white room.

"Good," he answered, holding a rag to his mouth and coughing some more. When he drew the rag away, it was bright with blood. I winced, and Skittery's grip around me tightened comfortingly.

Skittery lightened the mood. "When they first put 'im in here, he got into trouble fer flirtin' with th' nuns."

I grinned. "Is that so?"

Mr. O'Reilly nodded. "'Tis, 'tis," he whispered, a smile playing on his lips. "Are...ya...sailin'?" his father managed to ask.

Skittery shook his head. "No, Dad, I'm through with that. I have enough money fer ya to stay 'ere forever. Y'know I met Hannah on the last voyage?"

His father tried to smile again, but was overtaken by the same wracking cough. He made a motion with his hand, and Skittery picked up the bucket and held it under his father's chin. I closed my eyes until I heard the cough subside and the tap of the bucket being set down on the cold floor.

Skittery bent down to embrace his father. "We mus' be goin'. Love ya, Dad," he whispered.

My eyes brimmed once again with tears as I bid farewell to his father. "Goodbye, Mr. O'Reilly."

"You'll...back?" he choked out. Skittery nodded. "Yes, Dad, I'll be back in a few days."

Shaking his head, his father pointed at me, as if to say, "I was asking her." I nodded, a tear rolling down my cheek. "I'll come back, Mr. O'Reilly."

He smiled weakly as Skittery and I left the room, our arms around one another. The tears flowed freely now. "I'm sorry, Hannah. I shouldn't have asked ya ta come here. It's only grief to ya," Skittery said softly, sadness clouding his voice.

"No, Skit. I wanted to come today, and I'll come here again. It's just..." I couldn't finish my sentence as I sobbed, my face buried in his shoulder. He stroked my hair, trying to console me. Trying to dry my eyes, I said, "I'm terribly sorry. I should be consoling you, Skit. Not the other way around."

He shook his head, pulling me close as we stood together in the white hallway of the sanitorium. "No, Hannah, it'd be no use. I don't cry." 


	7. Not Quite Heaven

I woke up early the next morning with a terrible headache. Opening my eyes, I discovered that my vision was blurred. I tried blinking and rubbing my eyes, and that helped a bit. A wracking cough took over my body, and I got up for a drink.

Tiptoeing down the hall, I entered the washroom. I pumped some cool water into my cupped hand and drank it to soothe my dry throat. My tongue felt thick in my mouth, and I was feeling very weak as I stood there, shivering. After I got enough water, I tiptoed back to the bunkroom and lay down on my bunk, closing my eyes and falling into an uncomfortable sleep.

*******

"Get up, will ya? Goils, get up! It's amazin' how dese goils sleep their lives away," Kloppman grumbled a few hours later.

I dragged myself out of the bed, coughing. My nose was running, and I sneezed several times. "Hannah, maybe ya ought ta stay in today," Monkey said. "Ya look awful."

Shaking my head, I replied, "I can't. Need to sell."

Joining us, Twiggy said, "Whoa, dere, Hannah. Get back in bed! You don't look so good."

I shook my head again. Ribbons came up to us, but I put my hand up to shush her before she could add to what Monkey and Twiggy had already told me. "I'm selling."

I didn't even bother to wash my hair, only got dressed and went downstairs to sit and wait for Skittery. He finally came down. Touching my forehead, he said, "Yer hot. Ya have a fever."

"No, I don't. I know what it feels like to have a fever," I said, shrugging it off. Even if I did have a fever, I needed to sell. There was no other way to get food in my stomach.

After I bought my papers, Skittery and I walked together to Central Park. There was a light drizzle falling and a cool breeze blowing. Holding up a paper, I attempted to call out a headline, but failed miserably. Yelling wasn't possible with the way my throat was hurting, so I resorted to walking right up to people. One such instance was an elderly couple.

"Buy a paper, sir?" I asked him hoarsly.

He smiled a kind smile. "Certainly, miss." He fished in his pocket for a penny. The breeze picked up, which caused me to cough. The woman gave me a disgusted look and grabbed her husband's arm. "Come on, Henry. That girl will make you sick, what with that cough. You must learn not to buy newspapers from the immigrants. They'll give you all class of disease." She pulled him down the street, but not before he turned to give me an apologetic look.

Tears came to my eyes put I blinked them back. Suddenly, I felt very light-headed. "Skit..." I groaned right before my knees buckled under me. Luckily, he was right there and able to catch me before I fell. Leading me to the nearest bench, he said, "Lie down here. I'll sell your papes for you."

Feeling too sick to thank him, I only nodded and propped my arm under my head, closing my eyes. For the next few hours I drifted in and out of sleep, the voices of the people passing me by scrambled. Once in a while I could pick out Skittery's voice, calling out a headline that I could hear, yet make no sense of. Several times I felt his cool hand on my forehead and heard his voice telling me something that I couldn't understand. When I opened my eyes, all I saw was a blur of light and motion, so bright and so busy that all I could do was close my eyes again.

Finally, I felt someone's arms around me, felt myself being lifted up off the hard bench. Opening my eyes, I saw Skittery's face, looking ahead as he carried me back to the lodging house. I closed my eyes again and fell asleep in his arms.

*******

For a long time after that, I drifted in and out of consciousness, seeing faces, hearing faraway voices, feeling something cool on my forehead. At the time I had no idea how long I had been lying there on the bed with the white sheets and the white metal frame and all the white surrounding me. At the time I thought that I was in Heaven, what with everything white and the kind women who looked like angels to someone with blurred vision.

When I finally regained full consciousness, I realized that I wasn't in Heaven; I was in a hospital. The first thing that came to my mind was, _How will I ever pay these bills?_ I attempted to sit up, but my arms didn't support my weight and so I fell back against my flattened pillow.

A kind face looked inside the door at me. "Ah, you're awake!" The woman bustled off and returned several minutes later with a glass of water. "Drink up," she instructed, holding the glass to my dry lips. The water was cool and sweet as I drank it quickly.

"Thank you," I whispered, searching the nun's face.

"I'm Sister Martha, Hannah," she said. "Do you know why you're here?"

I shook my head. "I know I'm sick."

"You've been very sick with pneumonia. Do you know how long you've been here?"

In shock, I shook my head.

"You've been here going on one week now. Séamas O'Reilly brought you here."

"Sanitorium?" I whispered, shocked. People who went into sanitoriums rarely came out. I was sure that Sister Martha was lying about me having pneumonia and I really had the consumption.

Smiling, she shook her head. "No, dear. This is the hospital. We are three blocks from the sanitorium."

"Really? It looks like the sanitorium," I said.

"Yes, but I assure you that this isn't the place," she said, smiling.

"Oh," I sighed with relief.

Sister Martha stood to leave. "Get rest, Hannah. You will be allowed to go home in two weeks."

Before I could say anything else, she bustled out and closed the door behind her. _Two weeks?!_ I sighed rather loudly and propped my hands behind my head. _What am I going to do? Will Kloppman give my bunk away? Is Skittery ever going to come see me? _

Unable to sleep, I lay there for hours, thinking and trying my best to see outside the barred window. It was too high, and I found myself too weak to even sit up in bed. After examining the room and finding it to be the plainest room I had ever seen in my life, I decided that I was hungry. However, I didn't know how to go about summoning Sister Martha or any of the nuns, for that matter. I was interrupted from my thoughts when the door opened. Skittery stepped through the doorway with a smile on his face.

I smiled as much as was possible with the way I felt, which was terrible. "Skit."

He came straight to me, hugged me, and kissed my cheek. "I'm so glad you're awake."

"Me too," I whispered.

"Do ya need anything? Food? Water? Can I fluff yer pillows?"

I laughed. "Honestly, all this attention! Well, all right. I could stand all three."

"All right, let me help you sit up," he instructed. With one hand he held me up, and with the other he fluffed my pillows and propped them up behind me so that I could sit up. "I'll be back," he said, leaving the room.

I smiled to myself and unconsciously brought my hand to my cheek, where he had kissed me. Realizing this, I jerked my hand away. _This is absurd, Hannah! Please!_

Skittery re-entered with a tray and a glass of water. He sat the tray in my lap and put the water on the bedside table so that he could pull over the chair that sat in the far corner of the room.

Sitting beside me, he watched as I slowly spooned the thin soup into my mouth. It wasn't very good, but it was enough at that moment. When I had finished my dinner, Skittery said, "Ya need ta sleep, Hannah."

When I tried to protest, he put a finger to my lips. I pulled his hand down. "At least tell me what has been happening while I've been sick."

"Well, nothin' interesting at all. Dad's been askin' about ya..." he trailed off.

"Well, tell him that I send my love, and I will visit him as soon as I can," I said, putting my hand on Skittery's arm. I could sense that his father was now worse that he had been when I had seen him, and it pained me terribly.

"Sleep, Hannah," he instructed, helping me lie down again.

"I can't, Skit," I protested.

"Well, I can sing ya ta sleep...if ya want me to..." he said nervously. "Tha's what I do for Dad when 'e can't stop coughin'."

I nodded. "That sounds nice."

"Okay, um..." he took a deep breath and began singing. 

_"The _Diamond_ is a ship, m'lads,  
For the Davis Straight she's bound.  
And the quay is all garnished  
With the bonny lasses 'round.  
Captain Thompson gives the order,  
To sail the ocean wide.  
Where the sun it never sets m'lads  
Nor darkness dims the sky._

And it's cheer up m'lads!  
Let your hearts never fail,  
The bonny ship the Diamond_  
Goes a-fishing for the whale!_

Upon the quay at Peterhead,  
The lasses gather 'round.  
With their shawls all pulled about them  
And the salt tears running down.  
Now don't you cry my bonny lass  
Though you'll be left behind.  
For a rose will grow on Greenland's ice  
Before I've changed my mind!

And it's cheer up m'lads!  
Let your hearts never fail,  
The bonny ship the Diamond_  
Goes a-fishing for the whale!_

I drifted off to sleep as Skittery continued singing the song with his sweet, soothing voice.

*******

***NOTE***  
The song "Bonny Ship The _Diamond_" is a traditional Irish/Gaelic song. However, I heard it/got the lyrics from the band Gaelic Storm, so I'll go ahead and say (for safety's sake) that I copied the lyrics without permission. :) 


	8. Children in Love

"Time to wake up, Hannah. It's been two weeks now, and high time you get your strength up again."

I opened my eyes to see Sister Martha standing above me. Sitting up slowly, I yawned and took the tray that she held out to me. Quickly, I ate my breakfast, for I expected Skittery to drop by any minute.

"Oh, Hannah, Séamas won't be by today," Sister Martha said.

My heart nearly stopped. _His father?_

"We asked him not to come by this week since we're starting your therapy," she continued.

My mouth dropped open. "And whyever not?"

"Well, dear, it's just not proper for you two to be shut up in this room together all day. You wouldn't have time to see him, anyway, what with you getting your excercise."

"That's unfair! He's the only one able to come see me, and you take him away from me?" I wailed, lying back down and burying my face in the pillow.

Sister Martha placed a hand on my back. "Now, now, you needn't be vexed. You'll see him - "

"In two weeks! In two weeks I'll see him! I know you're going to send him away next week, too," I cut in angrily.

"It's for your health - "

"Pardon me, Sister Martha, but if any of you _cared_ for my health you would let me see him! He makes me laugh! Isn't laughter the best medicine?"

She clicked her tounge and shook her head thoughtfully. "Children in love," she muttered to herself. "Well, Hannah, I'm not going to stand for this. I'll have Sister Gretta work with you today, and pray that you aren't so much a burden on _her_."

With that, Sister Martha left the room angrily. Tears came to my eyes quickly, but I tried to blink them back. However, I was a failure, and I cried my eyes out for the first time since I had been cooped up in that awful hospital. A gruff voice brought my face out of the pillow.

"Stop crying, girl!"

At the doorway stood an old, gruff nun with a scowl on her drawn face. "I'm Sister Gretta. Stand up!"

I tried. Really, I tried. But as soon as my feet hit the cold floor, I toppled over, landing with a thud on the hard tile.

"Get up now!" she persisted, banging the end of her cane on the floor. I tried to push myself up with my arms, but they gave way and I collapsed again. I heard Sister Gretta heave an exhasperated sigh. "Oh, all right, I'll help you up, but mark my word, you'll put my back out!"

She helped me stand, and gave me her cane to use as a support. I wobbled terribly, unable to make my legs work properly. Sister Gretta helped me hobble across the small room, back and forth, back and forth, and I was sure that I would collapse when she finally said, "That's all for now. Eat your lunch and get some rest. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

With that, she took her cane away from me and left me standing there in the middle of the room, unable to walk and barely able to stand. I turned my torso toward the bed and attempted to tip forward and catch myself on the side. Unfortunately, this failed and I landed hard on the tile. Frustrated tears came to my eyes and I reached up, pulled the blanket off the bed, and curled up on the floor, covering up and propping an arm behind my head. I lay there and cried for goodness knows how long, unaware that no one had even bothered to bring me my lunch.

*******

I went through a similar ordeal for the next two days. Sister Gretta would come in the morning, make me hobble around my room for a long time, and then leave me to fend for myself. However, I got stronger with each passing day and was able to get back to the bed without falling down. On the third day of this routine, I had just finished my "excercise" and my lunch and was about to take a much-needed nap when the door creaked open and Skittery's head popped in.

I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was when I saw him. Before I could yell, "Skit!", he motioned for me to hush as he quickly and quietly slipped in and shut the door behind him.

"How did you get in here?" I asked, on the brink of laughter. "I was sure I wouldn't see you for two weeks, at least!"

"Snuck. Those bloody nuns - 'scuse me - told me ta go away. It's not right, th' way they've been treatin' ya all of a sudden. The nuns at th' sanitorium are always kind."

"I wish you could just get me out of here," I sighed. "This is terrible."

"I wish I could, too, Hannah, but I want ya to get well, an' th' lodgin' house certainly wouldn't do th' trick," he answered, stroking my hair. "I miss ya, ya know?"

I nodded. "I can't wait until I get out of here. Then I can see your father again, and - "

"Hannah..." Skittery cut in, taking my hand.

"Yes?"

"I...I don' think you'll be seein' Dad again."

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. He continued. "He's worse, Hannah, much worse than when ya saw 'im th' first time. I can hardly get in ta see 'im now, an' a priest stays in there with him at all hours, in case..." Skittery dropped his gaze to my hand. "Anyway, they wouldn't let ya in ta see 'im, in your condition."

"May I write to him, then?" I asked.

"He'd love that," Skittery answered, brightening a bit. "I can see about gettin' ya some paper an' a pen. I'll bring it tomorrow, same time?"

I nodded. "That's good. I'll write him a nice, long letter, and I'll tell him what a wonderful friend you are."

He blushed and shook his head. "Nah. Ya don' have ta go braggin' on about me."

I smiled up at him. Standing and moving the chair to its previous location, he said, "I must go now, before th' nuns get suspicious." Winking at me, he kissed my hand and slipped out of the room as quietly as he had slipped in a few minutes earlier.

Settling back into my pillow, I remembered something Sister Martha had muttered a few days before. _ "Children in love"...do you suppose...no, Hannah, stop this! You're just bored and trying to find a way to pass the time!_ Trying to stop thinking of Skittery, I buried my face in my pillow and found sleep rather quickly. 


	9. A Ride Home In Denton's Carriage

Chapter 9: A Ride Home In Denton's Carriage  Two weeks later, I stood at the foot of my bed, packing the belongings that Skittery had brought me during my first waking days at the hospital. Sister Martha stood in the room with me, waiting until Skittery arrived. 

"I'm glad you're well, Hannah," she said. "You stay out of the cold, and for goodness' sakes don't go to the sanatorium to see Mr. O'Reilly. In your weakened state you could get tuberculosis very easily." 

"Yes, ma'am," I replied quietly, looking down at the floor. I very much wanted to see Mr. O'Reilly again, but since I couldn't, I had been writing him letters, unbeknownst to the nuns. Skittery would sneak into the hospital every night to see me and give me messages from his father. 

"Ready ta go home, Hannah?" 

I looked up to see Skittery standing there, grinning. I hugged him tightly. "Yes." 

Despite the way Sister Martha had treated me part of the time I was at the hospital, I hugged her and thanked her. Then, it was out of that hospital room forever. 

Skittery helped me down the stairs, for although I could walk, I had great difficulty in climbing and descending the staircases at the hospital. "Here," he said, wrapping his thick scarf around my neck, "ya need this more than I do. 'Tis very cold out, an' ya have to keep warm while we walk." 

We walked together for several blocks before Skittery stopped me in front of a carriage. "Denton, a friend of us newsies, is here in town. He offered ta drive us back to th' lodging house." 

"Really?" I asked, surprised. 

Skittery grinned at me. "Really. Here, let me help ya get in." 

He supported me as I climbed up into the carraige. A man wearing a bowler hat turned and shook hands with Skittery. He then turned to me. 

"Hi, Hannah. I'm Brian Denton." 

"Hello," I smiled. "Thank you kindly for this favor." 

He smiled. "You're very welcome, Hannah." 

The ride wasn't much longer, and finally we stopped in front of the lodge. Denton jumped out of the carriage and he and Skittery helped me down. Several of the newsies were waiting to greet me at the door; among those were Monkey, Twiggy, Ribbons, Racetrack, Mush, Cheater, and Coaldust. I noticed that Coal had his arms around Gem, but I didn't ask any questions. 

"Hey Hannah," Coal said. 

I looked up at him and smiled. "Hello." 

"Ya feelin' betta?" 

I nodded and he motioned to Gem. "This is my goil right heah. I believe ya know 'er?" 

"Yes, Gem and I have...met, I believe," I said, eyeing her. 

She averted her eyes to the ground. "Hey Hannah," she mumbled. 

The other newsies that were present surrounded me and immediately began asking questions such as, "How ya feelin'?" and, "Do ya need anyt'ing?" 

It surprised me that they were so caring. Before, I had been under the impression that most of them didn't like me. _Maybe most of it was my imagination,_ I thought to myself. True, Gem and several of the other girls disliked me; that much I was sure of. But, now, for some reason, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but my friends..._Skit_. 

He interrupted my thougts at that moment. "C'mon, let's get ya upstairs." 

Slowly, we descended the stairs leading to the bunkroom. Skittery stopped with me at the door. "I'm glad yer home, Hannah." 

He kissed my forehead. "Get some good rest. I'll see ya in th' mornin'." 

"Good night, Skittery," I whispered, grinning at him. 

I turned and entered the bunkroom, lying down on my bunk. Soon, sleep found me and I rested better than I had in a long time. 


	10. I Lied

Chapter 10: I Lied Several weeks passed by and finally I was feeling more myself again. My strength was mostly back to normal and I was allowed to sell newspapers once again. One morning in December, as I was standing in the distribution line, Skittery came running up to me in a panic. 

"Hannah, it's - it's - " he tried to exclaim. His lack of breath kept him from getting his sentence out, but I understood right away. 

"Your father?" I finished for him. 

Nodding frantically, he grabbed my arm. "C'mon!" 

The two of us ran for blocks and blocks until we could run no more. By then we were halfway to the sanatorium. I was shaking and my heart was pounding - part of this was from the running, but part of it was from complete and utter terror. I had no idea what to expect once we reached his father. 

After walking for a good long while, we spotted the sanatorium and started running again. We ran inside and head on into Sister Margaret. Without stopping to even excuse ourselves, we ran straight to Mr. O'Reilly's room. What we saw was the thing we least expected. 

There was Mr. O'Reilly, sitting up in bed, eating a small bowl of oatmeal. The color was in his cheeks as he looked to Skittery and I. 

Skittery's jaw dropped to the floor. "But...they..." 

I was equally stunned. "I thought..." 

Mr. O'Reilly laughed hoarsley. "What were you two expecting?" he asked in a voice near a whisper. 

Without another word, Skittery ran and hugged his father tightly. Tears came to my eyes as I watched. 

"Hannah?" 

I looked to Mr. O'Reilly. He smiled at me and motioned for me to come over as well. I did so, and he pulled me into a hug. 

The three of us visited long into the afternoon, sharing stories and such. Mr. O'Reilly told me funny stories about Skittery when he was young (which didn't sit too well with Skit, but he knew I wouldn't tell), and equally exciting tales from his life at sea. 

I found Skittery's father to be a very pleasant, warm soul. He was extremely personable and very funny, like Skit. _So that's why you're falling for him..._ I thought. This time, I didn't silence my thoughts. I finally decided that it was time I began listening to my feelings. 

Just as Mr. O'Reilly was beginning another sea story, Sister Margaret came in. "Séamas," she said, "you and Hannah should go home now. Your father needs his rest." 

Nodding, Skittery stood up, as did I. We hugged his father goodbye. "Love ya, Dad," Skittery said to him as we exited the small white room. His father smiled. "I love ya, Séamas." 

Once we were in the hall with Sister Margaret, Skittery became angry. "Why did ya call th' loding house an' make this sound like bad news?" 

Sister Margaret looked at the floor. "I am sorry, Séamas. I truly am. I'm sorry that I frightened you." 

He looked at her for a moment and nodded. "Thank ya. I'll see ya soon, Sister Margaret." 

"Goodbye, Séamas. Goodbye, Hannah." 

I followed Skittery out of the sanatorium. As we walked, he started smiling. "I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! Dad's getting better!" 

I was completely overcome with happiness as well. "It's wonderful!" I exclaimed, grinning. 

Suddenly, before I knew what was happening, Skittery pulled me close and kissed me. When he let go, the full reality of what had just happened hadn't hit me, and I stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do or how to react. Finally, I just looked up at Skittery and the two of us began laughing uncontrollably. 

"C'mon, let's get home," he said, wrapping an arm around me as we walked back to the lodging house. 

*******

The next morning, Skit and I met in the hallway and descended the stairs together. We were two of the first awake, so we meant to get our breakfasts and our papes quickly so we could visit his father again. 

We were somewhere in the middle of a conversation about Weasel when we stepped outside the lodging house, descended the stairs, and were stopped by Sister Margaret. Her face was ashen as she looked at Skittery. 

"Séamas, I'm sorry, but your father - " 

"No." He looked up at her. "He was getting well!" 

"Please, Séamas, you have to understand! Most patients get better before - " 

"How? How?!" he exclaimed, rubbing a hand over his face. "He was getting well!" 

Tears filled my eyes as I watched Skittery. He looked utterly helpless, standing there looking at Sister Margaret like maybe this was all a dream, just a bad dream that he could awaken from at any moment. 

She moved toward him as if to comfort him, but he moved away from her and ran off. I looked up at her, not sure what to do. 

"Go to him. I will wait for you here," she said. 

I nodded and ran off in the direction he had gone. My tears blinded me as I ran aimlessly, not sure where Skittery had run off to. 

Suddenly, there he was, sitting on a secluded bench with his head in his hands, crying bitterly. Silently, I sat down beside him, putting an arm around him. He turned to me and whispered, "Do you remember when I said that I don't cry?" 

I nodded, tears rolling down my cheeks. 

He pulled me into a tight hug and whispered, "I lied." 


	11. Angels

Chapter 11: Angels Mr. O'Reilly's funeral was two days later. It was a gravesite service, and rain was pouring down in freezing torrents. Skittery hadn't spoken all day, and he stood alone by a tree that was a few feet away from his father's grave, head down, sobbing as the priest recited Psalm 23 and prayed. 

As Mush, Kid Blink, David Jacobs, and Jack Kelly gathered before the crowd to sing "Amazing Grace", I went to Skittery, wrapping my arms around him. He hugged me and cried into my hair. Tears poured down my cheeks and I buried my face in his jacket. I just hoped that I was comforting him. 

The boys began singing as some men lowered the wooden coffin into its final resting place. 

_"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,  
That saved a wretch like me!  
I once was lost, but now am found,  
Was blind, but now I see. _

"'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,  
And grace my fears allayed;  
How precious did that grace appear  
When I His Word obeyed. 

"Thru many dangers, toils and snares,  
I have already come;  
'Twas grace that bro't me safe thus far  
And grace will lead me home. 

"The Lord has promised good to me,  
His word my hope secures;  
He will my sheild and portion be  
As long as life endures. 

"When we've been there ten thousand years,  
Bright shining as the sun;  
We've no less days to sing God's praise  
Than when we first begun." 

Skittery and I slowly advanced toward the grave. He bent down, took a handful of dirt, and cast it into the grave. I followed suit, as did the crowd after Skittery and I. 

The two of us started down the street alone, not really with a direction in mind. I only followed where Skittery walked. Soon, we ended up in Central Park. 

The rain beat down on us unmercifully as we held onto one another. At that point, I thought I could cry no more tears until Skittery looked at me with bloodshot eyes and whispered, "I want my Dad back." 

Fresh tears escaped my eyes and I pulled him close again. Skittery cried and whispered, "I can't believe he's gone." 

I don't know how long it was before I felt several presences all around us. I opened my eyes to see many of the newsies from the lodging house standing nearby. Without a word, Jack came up and wrapped his arms around both Skittery and I. Soon, all of them were around us, like a big group hug. Somehow, the whole thing made me feel a little better. I could also sense that it had lifted Skittery's spirits. At that time I felt like these were the best friends anyone could ever have; they were angels sent to us from Heaven. 

*******

The next few weeks were rough on Skittery. Whenever we were together he would cry. I always tried to comfort him, and he told me I was helping, but just the same I felt as if I was no help at all. It was no assistance to him that I would begin to cry every time a tear escaped his eyes. 

Finally, he began feeling better. Little by little, he became himself once again. When he finally smiled for the first time since his father's death, I was so happy that I kissed him. Then he laughed outright, and I felt embarassed at my forwardness. However, he thanked me. "I needed _somethin'_ ta make me smile," he told me with a grin. 

Still, for a long while after that, he would sob after only mentioning his father. I wanted to cry with him, but soon I decided that it was my place to comfort Skittery, and that I didn't need to cry for Mr. O'Reilly any longer. He was in Heaven now, and well out of harm's way. 

One night during this time, I decided to write a letter home to my parents. Although I knew that they weren't the best parents on earth, I knew that they weren't the worst, either, and they deserved to know where I was and what I was doing. So, one night I borrowed some paper and a pen from Kloppman and wrote down everything that had happened since I had left home. I ended the letter with, "Mother, Father, I am terribly sorry that I ran away from you. Please understand, however, that at this moment I am the happiest that I have ever been in my life. I would not trade my life here in New York for anything in the world. Remember that I love you both. -Hannah." 

Then, one day three weeks later, Skittery didn't cry. Looking me in the eye, he told me, "I miss Dad, but I've come ta realize that it does 'im no good fer me ta cry all th' time." 

I smiled at him. "Your father would want you to be happy, Skit." 

He grinned, looking into my eyes. "And I am happy. Aye, that I am." 

Later that day, Skittery and I were selling the evening edition together. 

"Extra! Extra!" I called. "Flaming cow in Midtown causes riot! Extra! Extra! Read all the exciting details!" 

As Skittery laughed, a man with a beautiful blonde on his arm tapped my shoulder. "Buy a pape, sir?" I asked him. 

He nodded. Something about him was vaguely familiar, but for some reason I couldn't put my finger on it. Fishing around in his pocket, he handed me a nickel in exchange for a paper. "Thank you sir," I said. 

The man smiled and turned with the woman to walk away. It was then that it hit me. 

"David!" 

******* 

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***  
The song "Amazing Grace" was written by John Newton and appears in many different hymn books. I took it from the songbook _Sacred Selections_. Please don't sue me. :) 


	12. Snowflake-Covered Loveboids

Chapter 12: Snowflake-Covered Loveboids My oldest brother stopped in his tracks, dropping the woman's arm. He slowly turned to face me, his eyes slowly meeting mine. 

"David? Don't you know me?" 

He took a long, hard look at me, and I knew then that he didn't recognize me. "How do you know my name?" he asked me. 

"It's me, David! Hannah!" 

Tears filled my eyes and I pulled off my cap, letting my hair fall down. David's eyes widened, and without another word, he spun around and walked away from me as quickly as I could possibly imagine. 

"David!" I yelled after him, running full-speed in the direction that he was headed in. 

To my dismay, he was too far away for me to catch when I saw him hastily hail a carriage. He jumped in and ordered the driver to go, only turning to glance back in my direction with an expression I'd never seen him wear before: complete and utter disbelief, shame, and hate. 

Numbly, I dropped to the ground, burying my face in my hands and crying bitterly. People continued to bustle around me in a blur as if I were not there, but one man bumped into me. He angrily grabbed me by the arm, yanking me up off the ground. 

"Get outta tha way, guttersnipe!" he sneered at me, shoving me into some crates that were stacked against a nearby wall. 

I stared at him, too numb with despair to snap back. My own brother had turned his back on me. My own brother hated me. Just the thought of his face made me cry fresh tears. I sank down into a sitting position against the wall. 

_Why does he hate me? Is it because he looked so fine and rich with that blond goddess hanging from his arm? He's ashamed of me._

I cried and cried for who knows how long. All I know is that I sat by that wall for a very long while. A misty rain began to fall, and the December cold bit me to the bone. 

"Hannah!" 

I heard my name being called and looked up. For a moment, I didn't see anyone, but then I saw Skittery pushing through the crowd, looking for me. 

"Hannah!" 

It took him a few moments to see me sitting on the ground. I was so upset that I couldn't speak, and he gathered me up in his arms and hugged me. 

Sitting down beside me, Skit asked, "Do ya want ta talk about it? I mean, ya don' have ta, but..." 

"I do, Skit. That was David, my brother." 

"Aye." 

"He didn't even speak to me," I said numbly. I looked up at Skittery. "He hates me, Skit. I don't even know why...maybe it was because he was so rich-looking and here I am, a street rat dressed like a boy..." 

Skit took my chin in his hand. "Hannah, now you listen ta me. You ain't no street rat. Ya hear? Now, if your brother's goin' ta act like that, why waste any more tears on 'im? Ya gotta move on an' put this behind ya." 

"But I can't! I can't forget the look on his face, Skit," I sobbed. "He was always my friend, not just my brother. He would've never done that to me!" 

"Listen, Hannah, if he was so nice back then, he's not th' same David. People change, Hannah. I know." 

I sat there for a moment, pondering what he had just said. "As much as I hate admitting it, you're right. People change, and unfortunately he changed for the worse." 

"Aye, that he did. An' I don' know why anybody in their right mind would treat ya that way," Skit said. 

I gave him a hug. "Well I'm glad that there's at least one gentleman I can rely on around here." 

Skittery grinned and kissed my hand. "Well that made my day right there." 

I tried to smile, but a wave of anger suddenly hit me. _David had no right to do that to me! Well, David, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm happy with my life. For the first time in years, I'm happy! I may have to work all day just to scrape by, but I have genuine friends who care about me, and that's what matters. Riches don't matter, I don't care what you say or what you think. Curse you and your bloody money and your bloody blonde, David Setton. I'd wear pants to your wedding if I had the notion._

After I got done thinking my bitter thoughts, I looked up at Skittery. "I'm not sad about it any more, Skit. I'm angry. I don't think I've ever been this angry before in my life." 

Standing up, Skittery took my hands and pulled me up off the ground. We began walking toward home, and for a while he was silent. Finally, he said, "You've a right ta be angry, Hannah. I'm angry. But don' let it tear ya apart. You're stronger than that." 

"Thanks, Skit," I smiled up at him. 

He grinned at me. Absent-mindedly, he pulled a coin out of his pocket and began rubbing one side of it with his thumb. That particular side was nearly rubbed smooth, and he was working at finishing it off. 

"Is that a lucky coin, Skit?" I asked him. 

"Ah, no," he answered, hastily putting it back in his pocket. "Just a distraction." 

I nodded. He took my hand as we headed for the lodging house. The mist was turning to snow, and the large flakes piled onto the snowdrifts that already lined the street. Skittery's hair caught the snowflakes, and I just stared at him as he walked along beside me. Finally, I said, "I wish we had a camera. I want a picture of you with those snowflakes in your hair." 

He blushed and grinned. "Well I fancy your red nose, Little Miss Setton." 

"Don't call me that!" I exclaimed. "Séamas!" 

"Hey, now yer gettin' personal!" he laughed, bending to gather a large handful of snow. 

He rolled it into a ball and tossed it at me, hitting me in the arm. I likewise fashioned a rather crude snowball and nailed him in the face. We continued with our little snowball fight until we were soaking wet and absolutely freezing. 

Sometime later that evening, we got back to the lodging house. We hastily sat in front of the fire to dry off as much as we could. Kloppman came over, shaking his head and muttering, "You two snowflake-covered loveboids, ya gonna get sick if ya don't get warmed up more!" 

Skit turned to me and we burst out laughing. 


	13. Christmas

Chapter 13: Christmas "Ding dong merrily on high, the chapel bells are ringing..." 

I rubbed a layer of ice off the window to look out. There was a group of carolers on the front step of the lodging house. 

Skittery hung over my shoulder, looking out. "I bet they're freezing," he said, teeth chattering. 

I looked up at him and nodded. "We should go out singing." 

Immediately, he shook his head. "No - hey, wait a minute. We could make money. See how Klop is tippin' them?" 

I grinned at Skittery. "Brilliant. Let's get bundled up and ask some of the others to come along, shall we?" 

We gathered Monkey, Twiggy, Cheater, and Crazy. Throwing on as many layers as we owned, we stepped out the door and into the snow. The road was covered in ice, which made walking a slow and cautious task. 

"What songs should we sing?" Twiggy asked. 

"Joy to the World," Skittery said. 

"Away in a Manger," I added. 

Soon, we had a handful of songs to choose from, and we began making our rounds. The first door we came to was the door of a grocery. We stood there in front of the door, not sure what to do. 

"Who's gonna knock?" Cheater asked. 

Crazy answered, "Ya ain't s'posed ta knock! Jus' start singin'." 

We began the first lines of "Joy to the World" when we heard muffled laughter behind us. Stopping, we turned around to a crowd who had smiles on their faces. 

"Hey, what's the deal?" Cheater asked. 

One man came up to us. "Bless you, poor children. The grocery is closed for the holidays." 

The lot of us felt very embarassed, indeed. We were all at a loss for words until the man dug a handful of change out of his pocket and handed it to Monkey. "God bless you children," he smiled, tipping his hat. 

Several other people from the small crowd stepped forward with money. After they were all gone we had several dollars to our names. We just stood there, in awe. Cheater was the first to speak. 

"Boy. People sure are generous durin' th' holidays!" 

We burst out laughing at him. After a moment, Skittery got our attention. "Hey!" 

"What, Skit?" I asked him, holding onto his arm. 

"See how we got more money from makin' ourselves look stupid? We should sing in front 'a more closed shops." 

Brilliant. We all grinned wickedly at each other and set out to find another shop. 

*******

After several hours of this, we were soaked to the bone, freezing, hungry, and feeling very, very rich. In all we had collected near ten dollars in change and had split it among the six of us. We entered the lodging house happily and made a beeline for the fire. 

Kloppman came over and added more kindling to the fire. "Where you kids been?" 

Monkey answered, "We went out caroling." 

"Oh, really? Make any money?" 

We all nodded, silly grins plastered on our faces. "We should do that every year," Skittery said. 

I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder. He leaned down and kissed me. Closing my eyes, I drifted off to sleep in no time. 

*******

I awoke in my bunk the next morning, wearing my still- damp clothes from the night before. It was freezing, and I pulled my blanket up high around my chin. I lay there for goodness-knows-how-long, wondering what I would get for Skittery. After all, it _was_ Christmas day. 

_Maybe I'll just give him a shirt...he needs one._ I propped my hands behind my head, nodding to myself that I would get Skit a shirt. 

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!" 

Kloppman's early-morning yell scared the living daylights out of me, and I jumped so high from my bunk that I banged my head on the boards above me. "Oww..." I groaned, rubbing my head and throwing the blanket aside. 

Kloppman just laughed at me. "Did I scare ya, Hannah?" 

I rolled my eyes, grinning. "Not in the least." 

He laughed and continued to shake and yell the other girls to conciousness. One by one, they dragged themselves out of bed for one reason: it was Christmas. On any other day they would have given Kloppman a fit trying to get them up. But Christmas only comes once a year, and that alone was their motivation. We would sell the Christmas papes and then...well, I had no idea what we would do after that. 

Several minutes later, the group of us dragged ourselves downstairs. The guys were already awake and waiting for us to get downstairs so that we could get our selling over with. 

Skit took my hand. "Mornin' Hannah," he grinned. 

I smiled up at him. "Good morning." 

We all headed outside to the nuns' cart for breakfast, and then to the distribution center. I bought only twenty papes, since I still had my money from the night before. It took several hours for us to sell all our papers, and then, when we were all done, we met back at the lodging house. 

"What are we doing now?" I asked Skittery. 

"We get an hour ta buy presents if we have th' money. Then we're all goin' over ta Irving Hall for Christmas dinner," he answered. 

"Really? That sounds nice," I grinned. 

During that hour, I made my way to a small general store that was just a few blocks down from the lodging house. I found a shirt for Skittery and bought it, afterwards hiding it sneakily under my coat. It was a plaid flannel shirt that appeared to be very warm, and I knew that it was something he needed. 

Making my way back to the lodging house, I sang Christmas carols under my breath. I entered through the front door and headed quickly upstairs so that I could find something to put the shirt in. After placing it in a small burlap bag, I headed back downstairs to meet Skit for the walk to Irving Hall. 

He was waiting for me by the door. We linked arms and started out the door. After a moment, I began singing again, and Skit joined me. 

_"Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  
Let Earth recieve her King!  
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room  
And Heav'n and nature sing,  
And Heav'n and nature sing,  
And Heav'n, and Heav'n and nature sing!"_

Finally, we reached Irving Hall. Once we got inside, Miss Larkson met us and led us to the front of the auditorium, where a large table with food from end to end was set up. There was a large turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce...just the sight made our mouths water. I hadn't seen a dinner like that in years. We made a line behind the table, but before we began serving ourselves, Kloppman said Grace. 

Once we had our food, we found seats out in the auditorium, being careful not to spill anything for fear that Medda wouldn't let us eat there next year. We all ate in silence, being very hungry, and it was a while before everyone was satisfied. 

Medda stood up at the front. "I have stockings for all of you. Your names are on them, and they are right over there." 

She pointed to her left, where a table was set up with stockings stacked up. Those of us who were older waited for the younger kids to get theirs, and then we headed over. 

Inside my stocking was an apple, an orange, a small hairbrush, and a few peppermint sticks. I grinned and showed it to Skit. He had all the same, except instead of a brush he had a small, inexpensive pocketwatch. 

"Does Medda do this every year?" I asked him. 

He nodded. "Yeah. She's real good ta us." 

At that moment, Medda stood at the front of the room and got our attention. "If you have presents for one another, you may exchange those now." 

I grinned and pulled the burlap bag from under my seat, handing it to Skittery. He grinned at me, opened it, and pulled out the shirt. "Thanks, Hannah. You knew I needed this!" 

He gave me a hug and kissed my cheek. Then, he fished around in his pocket for a moment and pulled out a small box, handing it to me. 

I opened it, and inside was a coin hanging from a chain. Upon closer inspection, I found that it was a coin from England. 

"I, ah, I always kept money from countries I visited when I used ta sail. Since you're from England...anyway, turn it over." 

I did so, and found that the back of the coin had been rubbed off. There was a scrawled engraving that I presumed to be in Skit's handwriting that said, "I Love You Forever, Hannah". I put the necklace on, smiling from ear to ear. Kissing Skittery quickly, I asked him, "Really?" 

He smiled, taking my hand and recalling a song that he had once sung to me. "A rose'll grow on Greenland's ice before I've changed my mind." 

THE END


End file.
